''Death of a Cheerleader'' is an album by

Pom Pom Squad Pom Pom Squad is an American indie rock/grunge band from Brooklyn, New York. It is the solo project of frontwoman Mia Berrin, and features permanent members Shelby Keller (drums) and Alex Mercuri (guitar). History Mia Berrin was raised in Orlan ...

Background

Musically, Berrin pulled inspiration from

riot grrrl Riot grrrl is an underground feminist punk movement that began during the early 1990s within the United States in Olympia, Washington and the greater Pacific Northwest and has expanded to at least 26 other countries. Riot grrrl is a subcultur ...

bands, 60's girl groups, Billie Holiday, and

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

. The title of "Second That" is a nod to the

Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive director. He was the founder and front man of the Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief ...

hit, " I Second That Emotion." Berrin cited feelings of isolation as a

person of color The term "person of color" ( : people of color or persons of color; abbreviated POC) is primarily used to describe any person who is not considered "white". In its current meaning, the term originated in, and is primarily associated with, the U ...

in the music industry as an inspiration for ''Death of a Cheerleader'', stating that "I wanted to define myself in different terms than other people defined me." Berrin also took inspiration from the realization that she is

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...

, describing many of the songs as having been inspired by someone who taught her "a lot about my queerness and the space that it occupies inside of me." As she describes in an interview for '' The Village Voice'':

Critical reception

Upon its release, ''Death of a Cheerleader'' received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 87, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 7 reviews. Rachel Saywitz in '' The Line of Best Fit'' claims the Pom Pom Squad "subvert expectations, all the while converting the pain points of

adolescence Adolescence () is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the t ...

and the boredom of high school suburbia into whimsical fantasy." In a review published in '' Consequence'', Paolo Ragusa writes that "Mia Berrin solidifies her place among the newest class of indie stalwart songwriters, carving out this space in a fearless and vulnerable way." "Equally indebted to pioneering girl groups as well as her punk heroes, the album is a fiery and compelling—albeit slightly uneven—exploration of love, anger, and coming-of-age," writes Abby Jones for '' Pitchfork''.

Accolades

Track listing

All tracks are written by Mia Berrin, except where noted.

Personnel

Pom Pom Squad * Mia Berrin – vocals * Mari Alé Figeman – bass * Shelby Keller – drums and percussion * Alex Mercuri – lead guitar Additional musicians * Em Sgouros – vibraphone (1, 12, 13) *

Tegan Quin Tegan and Sara () are a Canadian indie pop duo formed in 1998 in Calgary, Alberta. The band is led by identical twin sisters Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin (born September 19, 1980). Both musicians are songwriters and multi-instrumental ...

– guest vocals (2) * Spencer Peppet – additional vocals (3, 7, 9, 12) * Henson Popa – additional vocals (5, 7) * Lydia Paulos – cello (3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 13) * Camellia Hartman – violin (3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 13) * Lizzie No – Harp (3, 8, 9, 12, 13) * Sarah Tudzin – additional programming, additional guitar (7) additional keys (3, 4) * Noah Weinman – horns (13)

References

{{Reflist 2021 debut albums City Slang albums Indie rock albums by American artists